Water-wheel.



No. 857,482. PATENTEDJUNE 1a, y19o?. I At Hl i WATER WHEEL.

APPLICATION IILBD DBO. 29. 1905.

A TIQQM; ys

4uf'ivrr'fain STATES- PATENT Ori-non.

ALONZO HIRAM PERRY, OF KINLOOH PARK, MISSOURI.

WATER-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

:Patented June 18, 190'?.

Application filed December 29, 1905. Serial No. 293,804.

A further object of the invention is to prevent choking of the powershaft by ice when the wheel is submerged.

With these and other objects in View, the. present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the'invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of awater wheel embodying the features ofthe present invention, one of the shaft hangers being removed and thewheel shown partially submerged. the wheel. Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryperspective view showing the relation between one end of a paddle andthe adjacent pivotal supn Fig. 4 is an elevation -show` port therefor.ing one of the paddles on the opposite side of the adjacent arms of thewheel. Fig.` 5 is a side elevation of the wheel submerged, parts beingbroken away. to disclose `an electric heater for preventing accumulationof ice around the power shaft. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of thesupplemental arms of the` wheel.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all ofthe figures of the drawing.

As embraced in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, the present wheel ismounted upon a horizontal shaft l, which is in turn supported by andbetween a pair of hangers 2. The wheel itself includes a pair of spacedhubs S'from each of which radiate arms 4. Each pair of correspondingarms of the two hubs is'connected by a cross bar 5 located inwardly fromthe outer ends of the arms, and

upon which is pivotally supported a paddle Fig. 2 is a cross sectionalview of k6. A supplemental arm 7 is secured toa central hub 8 carried bythe shaft l and has its outer end provided with 'an eye or opening 9through which the cross bar 5 extends. Each paddle is pivotallysupported or swung upon the adjacent cross bar 5 at a point aboutone-third of the distance from one of its transverse edges. That portionof the paddle which is. adjacent the cross bar 5 is of a 'length to workbetween adjacent arms 4, while the other portion of the paddle has endextensions 10 designed to overlap the `arms andengage thelatter assupports to limit rotation of the paddle in one direction. 'Upon theouter side of each arm 4 is a swinging member l1 terminally pivoted asat k12, upon the outer side ofthe arm inwardly from the adjacent crossbar 5, said member being provided with a lateral extension or shoulder14 to engage one of the edges of the arm and limit rotation of themember llvin one direction.

In practice, the wheel is mounted so as to be about one-half submerged,as in Fig. 1, `whereby the paddles or blades assume the variouspositions illustrated in this iigure of the drawing.

tion of the rotation of the wheel is indicated by the arrow 13,wherefore the paddles of the right hand side of the wheel are-ascending.`Beginning with theuppermost paddle, vit will be noted that it issupported in a sub- 'towardthe directionfrom which thestreani visflowing until its lower shorter end dips into the stream, whereupon thelower end will be swung back toward and against the stop 13,

'whereupon the swinging prop 11 will clear the back of the paddle anddrop down through the notch a formed in the adjacent edge of the paddle.As the lower shorter The direction of the current 'is indicated by thearrow A,y and the direc- IOO end of the paddle enters the stream, itwillbe y y subjected to the Ypressure thereof and beheld against the'shoulder -13 until the'pivotal axis of the bladeenters the stream, andias the paddle continues to descend, the pressurevof the water upon thegreater area of the paddle above its pivotal axis will swing the upperend portion of the paddle in'wardly'against the arms until the paddleassumes a substan- IIO tially horizontal position Vat the other side ofthe wheel, when the current acting upon the upper side of the paddlewill swing the same ldownwardly as the paddle rises from the stream.After the paddle reverses its position at the right hand side of theAwheel, the upper end portion of the paddle will be held against the"adjacent stop 13 so as to support the paddle in position to loe'y actedupon by the current. Just as soon as the paddle emerges from the water,it will drop back against the adjacent prop 11 and be supported therebyuntil it reaches a vertical position at the opposite left hand side ofthe wheel, when the operation of the paddle will continue in a mannerhereinbefore described.

A very important feature of the present invention will be understoodfrom the fact that the paddles are automatically feathered by gravity`and 'by the force of the stream, wherefore extraneous feathering meansis dispensed-with and the wheel is materially simplified while itseffectiveness is preserved and increased.

Power is transferred from the shaft 1 by means of a beveled gear 15 uponeither end of the shaft, said gear being in mesh with another gear 16upon an upright shaft 17, the latter being provided, as in Fig. 5, witha gear 18 in mesh with a gear 19 carried by a shaft 20, from which poweris taken in any suitable manner and for any desired purpose, preferablyfor running an electric generator. ln lieu of shafts and gears, beltsand pulleys may beemployed to transfer power from the shaft 1.

Nhen the wheel is entirely submerged, as in Fig. 5 of the drawing, thepivotal props 11v and stationary stops 13 are removed, and the bladesare automatically featheredby the force of the current. When the wheelis submerged, the upright shaft 17 is liable to become 'choked when thesurface of the stream becomes frozen over, and therefore l propose toprovide for reventing freezing of the water around the s aft, oneembodiment of my idea being disclosed' in Fig. 5. In carrying out thisfeature of the invention, a tubular shell or case 21 is laced upon theshaft so as to extend a suitab e distance above and below the surface ofthe water, the ends of the case being equipped with suitable paclringboxes 22 to prevent leakage of the water into the case. The interior ofthe case is lined with asbestos or other suitable material 23, and anelectric conductor 241 is loosely coiled around the shaft within thecase, from ing of the water around the shaft.

which its terminals 25 and 26 extend to a suitable source of electricalenergy, whereby the coil24 is maintained in a charged and heatedcondition su'l'licient to prevent freez- When the water wheel is`employed for driving Van electric generator, the heating coil 24:` isof course connected with such generator, otherwise it may tric service.l

In each application of the wheel, whether entirely submerged or onlypartially submerged, it will be noted that the form and mounting of thepaddles are the same. Each paddle has a short portion which is pivotedupon the cross-bar 5 and works between the arms 4,while the long portionwhich carries the extensions 10 exceeds the length of the space betweenopposite arms Il, so as to lap and lie against the arms in certainpositions so as to receive the force of the current and thereby rotatethe wheel. l/Vhen partially submerged as in Figs. 1 and 2, each paddleis active to impart rotary movement to the wheel during its entire paththrough the stream. Whereas, when the wheel is entirely submerged thepaddles are active to produce rotation of the wheel only during thelower half of the path of movement. l/Vhen the paddles of the submergedwheel are passing through the u )per half of the path of the wheel, theytrail fromtheir pivotal supports 5 and do not tend to rotate the wheel.In other words, with the wheel rotating in the connect with anyavailable elecdirection of the arrow, shown in Fig. 5, each paddlebegins to become active just after it passes downwardly beyond thehorizontal at the left hand side of the wheel, its activity increasinguntil it assumes a vertical position, and then decreases until it passesabove the horizontal, whereupon the paddle will be in- 'verted by theforce of the current on account of the tendency of the paddle to trail,due to the fact that it is pivotally supported nearer one end than theother.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A water wheelincluding radial arms, paddles pivotally mounted on the arms each on anaxis located intermediate the middle and one side of the paddle, gravityactuated vdevices mounted on the arms for permitting the paddles to moveto and from a feathering position during the period they are out of thewater, and stops on the arms which are a1'-l ranged to be engaged by thepaddles as the latter enter the water and to be disengaged as soon asthe paddles become completely submerged.

2. A water wheel including radial arms, paddles pi votally supportedthereon between l the arms and each on an axis intermediate IOO IIO

dles when the props disengage therefrom and only during the timerequired to completely submerge each paddle.

3. A water wheel having feathering paddles adapted to become radial byfolding inward, each paddle being pivotally supported intermediate ofits ends, means to prevent the paddle from folding when out of the water and capable of releasing the paddles when the latter enter thewater, and means to hold the paddles against folding when they firstenter the water until they become submerged below their pivotal axes.

1L. A water wheel including radial arms, paddles pivotally supportedthereon and capable of folding inwardly, means to prevent the paddlesfolding when out of the water, each paddle being pivotally supportedintermediate of its ends and adapted to enter the water in an uprightposition, and stops carried' by the under sides of the arms forengagement with the lower end portions of the paddles when entering thewater to prevent rotation of the paddles until after their pivotal axesbecomes submerged. p

5. Awater wheel having radial arms, a series of paddles adapted to foldradially inward and pivotally supported at one side of their middles,means to prevent the paddles folding when out of the water, said meanscapable of disengaging the paddles to free the same when entering thewater, stops carried by the arms for engagement by the rear sides of thelower shorter end portions of the paddles when entering the water toprevent folding thereof, said paddles being free to fold radially inwardafter their axes have become submerged.

6. A water wheel comprising two sets of radial arms, a series ofpaddles, each paddle working between and pivotally supported bycorresponding arms, the pivotal support being located. at one side ofthe middle of the paddle and the other side of the paddle having endextensions to overlap and lie against the arms as a support, pivotalprops carried by the arms for engagement with the extended portionsofthe paddles to prevent folding of the paddles when out of the waterand capable of gravitating out of engagement with the paddles when thelatter enter the water, each paddle being disposed to have its short endenter the water first, and stops carried by the arms for engagement bythe short ends of the paddles when entering the water to prevent foldingof the paddles by the pressure of the water until the paddles becomesubmerged below their pivotal aXes.

7. A water wheel having an upright suby merged shaft, a closure aroundthe shaft at the water level, and a thermal device within the closure toprevent accumulation of ice around the shaft.

8. A water wheel having an upright submerged shaft, and an electricheater to prevent accumulation of ice around the shaft.

9. A water wheel having an upright submerged shaft, a Acase embracingthe submerged portion of the shaft, and' an electric heating coilcontained withinv the case.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aHiXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO HIRAM PERRY.

